Commentary: Panel discussion

U.S. oil boom

I think everyone remembers "The Beverly Hillbillies." Jed was out huntin' for some food, when out through the ground come a bubblin' crude. Oil that is, Texas Tea. First thing ya' know old Jed's a millionaire, and then what happened?

The US is dependent on foreign oil, or so we're told. When Jed became a millionaire, gas was about 25 cents a gallon at the pump. We've all heard the story: We must save our oil reserves for future generations. I'm sure they're going to want oil about as much as we'd like to have a black and white television or a rotary telephone. Experts estimate there's over 400 billion barrels of oil under the 48 contiguous states. (Google Oil reserves in North America, click on USA oil production.)

"Oil production in the U.S. and Canada is expected to 'boom' over the next decade, leading to a decrease in overseas oil imports." Boom alrady! What the heck are we waiting for?

Les Graebel

Manitowoc

A bad move

... and another thing!

Moving Manitowoc's DMV office to the bankrupt movie theater on Dewey Street makes no sense! The DMV admits that it is almost the same size as the old one on Reed Avenue. The reason for the move is to make the bathrooms more accessible. So who goes to the bathroom at the DMV? I go to the DMV maybe six to eight times a year and wait in line maybe 10 to 15 minutes. I can hold it that long. And why are they called bathrooms anyway, you can't take a bath at the DMV!

... that's ridiculous, stop it already!

Roy Geigel

Manitowoc

Inflation factors

As money is printed to pay U.S. bills, the value of all money decreases. Deficit spending leads to price inflation, devastating the poor and elderly the most. Because of the way government determines price inflations, Social Security payments do not keep up with real increases.

The price of food for a family of four has increased $525.60 per year between January 2009 and December 2011, according to the USDA. That's just for food; increases for gas and other products are also owing to inflation. It's not so much the greedy companies, the printing of more money and deficit spending leads to inflation.

Vern Troullier

Manitowoc

'Phony' scandals?

In an effort to revive a floundering economy, President Obama's newest recovery scheme consisted of two speeches. He spoke at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., on July 24, and the Jacksonville, Fla. Port Authority on July 25. No plan for jobs was presented, and the rhetoric was all campaign politics of the last five years. The Herald Times Reporter neglected to report either of these speeches. He blamed Republicans for their "parade of distractions, political posturing, and phony scandals." The news media could not identify which scandal was "phony," so they concluded that the only phony was Barack Obama.

John Goswitz

Manitowoc

Keep it public

The Triple P fiasco was swept under the rug, in my opinion. Business went on as usual. Now we (allegedly) have porn on work computers. Mr. Hansen set certain rules for Mr. Theyerl to speak during the public input. They want Mr. Theyerl to solve the porn on work computers case himself. At one County Board meeting, which I attended, everyone there saw Mr. Theyerl being escorted to a side hallway, not allowed to speak, even when Mr. Theyerl held up papers saying he had proof in those papers.

Seems like Mr. Ziegelbauer feels this is an unnecessary case. Maybe to you Mr. Z. but not to the general public. Keep this dirt out in the open, not under the rug, again.

Jerome Bolle

Whitelaw

More threats

There are other threats; the world's population is growing exponentially! Seven billion human beings needing water, food, shelter and a meaning to life and we've added more than 47 million this year alone. Imagine if each of us produced one pound of waste a day, that's 7 billion pounds of trash every day! There's 270,000 square miles of liquid photodegradated plastic caught in the north Pacific trash vortex. Half of the world's oxygen is produced by phytoplankton photosynthesis in the world's oceans. That doesn't concern you? It concerns me! I like breathing!

Southeast of Kabul, Afghanistan on tens of thousands of acres of desert lies hundreds of thousands of piles, and when the winds blows the mounds come alive, a shimmering brown, dust-covered plastic. Almost beautiful, if it weren't for the flies?

Just me?

Ed Hansen

Manitowoc

True inspiration

Pope Francis was recently asked his opinion of homosexuals in the clergy. His response was, "Who am I to judge?" I was so impressed to hear this from Jesus' representative here on earth.

During his ministry, Jesus was about inclusion, befriending those society had snubbed. Jesus spoke against judging others: "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" [Matthew 7:3 (NIV)]

Pope Francis truly is a "people's pope." His modeling of Jesus' teachings is an absolute inspiration!

Carla Halvorson

Two Rivers

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Commentary: Panel discussion

I think everyone remembers 'The Beverly Hillbillies.' Jed was out huntin' for some food, when out through the ground come a bubblin' crude. Oil that is, Texas Tea. First thing ya' know old Jed's a

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